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rushed outside and shouted Cade’s name again. Looking around, she couldn’t see him anywhere. Betsy and Owen had just called and said they were running to the store for a few things and the Colemans were still out of town. The only other house was Nick Coulter’s.
    Oh, no. It looked like his door was slightly ajar. Biting her lip, she looked down at the large bath towel and then back at the house. “Oh, snap!” she cursed. What was she supposed to do? If Cade was in danger, she didn’t have time to get dressed. There was a very good chance he was wandering somewhere outside.
    She hollered one more time. “Cade Thomas Garrett, if you’re outside you had better come home right now!”
    Feeling panicked, she started looking in the yard. She prayed he was hiding from her and hadn’t left the property.
    * * *
    Nick’s day was filled with multiple telephone conferences as he geared up for the opening of the Kids Come First summer camps. His head swam with all the things that had to fall into place in order for it to be successful, and yet, Ellie Garrett and her aqua-blue eyes kept popping up in his already full head.
    He glanced at the time on the bottom of the computer screen and thought about Ellie again. It was almost time for dinner at the Stewarts’ house and he was pretty sure Ellie was going to be there. If she got to know him a little better she might not be so uptight. At least he hoped.
    Closing his laptop, he looked around his house. It was so quiet he could hear himself breathing. For the first time in a long time, Nick was free from the media and adoring fans. As much as he hated the loneliness, it was kind of nice to feel normal.
    Of course, being rebuffed by a beautiful woman had really made him feel normal. A little too normal. He had to ask himself if maybe Pleasant Wood was too quiet.
    Maybe he’d been hasty in retiring so soon, but the doctor had told him that if he took another blow to the head, he might not have an elevator that went all the way to the top. Playing professional football for the past eight years on top of his college days, had taken its toll on his body.
    The doorbell chimed, interrupting his thoughts. Before he could answer it, the door creaked open and in poked a little blond head.
    Nick grinned. “Hi, Cade.” He looked expectantly at the door for Ellie to follow her son. When she didn’t immediately show up, he figured Cade had probably come to the wrong neighbor’s house, looking for a treat. He made a mental note to get a cookie jar with Oreos in it.
    The little boy looked around, his eyes wide with curiosity. “This looks fun.”
    Nick raised an eyebrow. To a kid, the large entryway with bare hardwood floors and devoid of any furnishings probably resembled a small gym.
    “Yeah, I guess it does.” He took a step toward the little boy to escort him home when he heard Cade’s name being called. The alarm in Ellie’s voice was clear. “Hey, Cade, did you tell your mom where you were going?”
    Cade shook his head. “Nope, she was in the shower.”
    Uh-oh . He knew he better get the kid out of his house quickly. “I think we need to tell your mom where you are, buddy. She’s probably pretty worried.” Worried? From the sound of the woman’s voice, she bordered on hysteria.
    Cade shrugged his shoulders, but didn’t make any attempt to move. “Come on, little guy, let’s go see your mom.” Nick reached down and took Cade’s hand. Small, warm fingers met his palm and Nick smiled down at the cherubic little face. Ellie Garrett made cute babies.
    Still holding the little boy’s hand, he stepped outside and hoped Ellie would believe he had nothing to do with her son being inside his house. They made it across the street when Ellie came into view, hollering out her son’s name. Nick immediately stopped, staring in disbelief.
    Ellie was wearing a towel. Should he close his eyes?
    “Cade!” She was frantically looking behind a bush.
    Nick was glad it was a big towel